Reversible thermal behaviour of vegetable oil cellulose ether emulsions as fat replacers. Influence of glycerol

Thermal reversibility properties of vegetable oil cellulose ether emulsions with and without glycerol incorporation were studied by small amplitude oscillatory shear, optical microscopy and particle size analysis. Differences in the viscoelastic properties were observed among the different cellulose emulsions at 20 °C and 80 °C after thermal gelation. At 20 °C the highest viscoelasticity was shown by the MX emulsion. The emulsion gelation temperature decreased with cellulose ether methoxyl content and with the presence of glycerol. Emulsion MX showed the lowest thermal stability. Heating the MX cellulose emulsion caused syneresis, fat flocculation and the appearance of particle size polydispersity, indicating lower thermal stability and lower thermal reversibility. The different viscoelastic properties and thermal stabilities obtained by varying the type of cellulose, both with and without glycerol incorporation, increase the number of possible food applications where the emulsions could be employed as suitable fat replacers. Whether higher or lower emulsion thermal stability is more or less convenient for a specific food application is a future topic of study.